Training Ground

The clan meeting went exactly as one would expect from the Nara Clan's lazy, trouble-averse nature. After learning that Kagetsu had awakened a Kekkei Genkai, the clan Elders and Jonin merely gave an "oh," asked a few questions, then eagerly adjourned the meeting.

Watching those clan Elders leave in twos and threes with their hands on their hips, Kagetsu remained calmly unsurprised. He had already experienced this exact situation twice before.

Once with Shadow Coffin.

Once with Shadow Puppet.

Both clan meetings had gone the same way.

"Let's go." Nara Shikaji patted Kagetsu on the shoulder. "Train your combat skills more these days."

"Did something happen?" Hearing Nara Shikaji's request, Kagetsu instantly picked up on something. He knew very well that if nothing had happened, Nara Shikaji would not have made such a request of him.

"It's just that I feel like a storm is coming." Nara Shikaji gave a bitter smile. As the head of the Jonin Corps, responsible for handling the Hokage's daily affairs and intelligence, his keen sixth sense had picked up an oppressive atmosphere from the foreign intelligence gathered recently.

"Is there going to be a war?" Kagetsu asked bluntly. Though he did not know when the Third Ninja World War would begin, he vaguely remembered that its fuse had been the disappearance of Sunagakure's Third Kazekage.

"That isn't something you should be worrying about." Nara Shikaji placed a hand on Kagetsu's head. After a moment of thought, he added, "It's only that friction along the borders of the various countries has intensified recently. Sunagakure in particular has been making some unusual moves. The conflicts may worsen in the future. You've already become a Chunin, and sooner or later, you'll have to leave the village on missions and fight ninja from other countries."

What Nara Shikaji did not say was that after so many years of recuperation, the major nations had mostly recovered their strength. The restraint and tacit understanding between the great powers of the ninja world had become no more than a thin sheet of paper waiting to be pierced.

In intelligence reports, this manifested as competition over mission assignments, intensifying friction, and escalating confrontations. Perhaps a single spark would be enough to instantly erase the restraint and tacit understanding between the great nations.

Having lived through a Ninja World War, Nara Shikaji knew all too well how cruel a war of that scale could be.

Kagetsu awakening his Kekkei Genkai at such a time made him worried, but also somewhat pleased. At least in the ninja world, strength was one's guarantee.

Whether ninjutsu or Kekkei Genkai, both counted as strength!

Nara Shikaji's concern was that Kagetsu had become too absorbed in research and neglected his own strength. Yet judging from the earlier tests, Kagetsu's mastery of secret techniques was high, and his Chakra reserves had been unexpectedly impressive.

Setting aside combat experience and everything else, based purely on the strength he displayed, he could at least be considered an outstanding Chunin.

Training Ground.

Seeing Kagetsu diligently training in the Training Ground, Anko nearly bit her tongue while eating dango.

"Is that Kagetsu?" Anko turned to Uchiha Shisui beside her in surprise. They had come to the Training Ground together.

"It's him." Shisui nodded silently.

"It's not some Transformation Technique prank or something?" Anko still could not believe it.

"It's him." Shisui nodded again, but this time, the Two-Tomoe Sharingan emerged in his eyes.

"Kagetsu!" Having confirmed it again, Anko solemnly put the dango in her hand back into its bag and shouted.

Noticing their arrival, Kagetsu stopped training and waved at them.

"Are you really Kagetsu? You actually came to the Training Ground? I remember you haven't gone on missions or trained with us in a long time, right? Why did you come to the Training Ground today?" Anko stepped forward and vigorously poked Kagetsu with a finger, as though trying to determine whether he was a Shadow Clone or something.

"I came to train." Kagetsu looked at Shisui behind Anko.

Apparently displeased by Anko's poking, a black finger extended from Kagetsu's shadow and grasped her finger.

"Huh?" Anko gave a startled cry as the black shadow gripped her finger. It felt as though something tangible had seized it tightly.

"Is this also a Shadow Secret Technique? Why don't you need hand seals?" Anko let the black shadow hold her finger. The sensation felt solid as she looked up at Kagetsu curiously.

Up to now, every ninjutsu Anko knew required hand seals to activate. With proficiency, one could perform the seals quickly in sequence. The smart and exceptionally proficient could even simplify the sealing steps for certain ninjutsu, but no matter what, hand seals were still required.

The only techniques Anko knew of that could be activated without hand seals were Kekkei Genkai.

"Your Chakra?"

Compared to Anko, Shisui, with his Sharingan activated, saw far more than she did. His eyes and senses could distinguish the changes in Kagetsu's Chakra.

Unlike the Chakra Kagetsu usually possessed, it was a power that felt familiar to him.

"I merely completed a technique," Kagetsu answered. Shisui and Anko would learn about his Kekkei Genkai sooner or later, so there was no need to tell them immediately.

"You finally completed that technique of yours?"

Both Anko and Shisui knew Kagetsu had been creating another secret technique. He had even gone to Namikaze Minato to learn the relevant Sealing Techniques for it.

As a result, Shisui and Anko had also received some guidance during the Chunin Exams.

Influenced by Kagetsu, Shisui and Anko had both wanted to create a ninjutsu unique to themselves at an early age.

"It's complete." Kagetsu pointed at the shadow beneath his feet.

"Huh? Is it alive?" Anko lowered her gaze and exclaimed again. She suddenly noticed that the shadow, as if aware of her gaze, curled up like it was shy, bunching into a patch of black beneath Kagetsu's feet.

Shisui's gaze upon the shadow grew solemn. Seeing that clump of shadow, he suddenly understood where the strange feeling he had sensed earlier came from.

It came from the living creature-like shadow beneath Kagetsu's feet.

"Want to spar?" Kagetsu ignored Anko, who had crouched beside him to poke at the shadow under his feet, and invited Shisui.

Shisui froze for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Of course! We haven't sparred before, have we?"

Anko looked up at them in surprise and asked Kagetsu in confusion, "You want to challenge Shisui?"

In Anko's eyes, Shisui, with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, was the strongest primary attacker on their team aside from Orochimaru Sensei. She herself looked for opportunities and filled a defensive role, while Kagetsu mostly served as support and medic.

Therefore, Anko had always been the one assigned to accompany Kagetsu. She only felt that today, Kagetsu seemed strange all over.